Yeasts, Funghi, and Mycotoxins in Migraine Part 2

by | Sep 13, 2023 | Blog, Toxins

Yeasts, Funghi, and Mycotoxins in Migraine

This is part 2 of this article. You can read part 1 here on my public blog. Please do so first for better context.

I started to think about the properties of a few of my favorite remedies for supporting people with migraine. AND, it just so happens that all of these remedies are also powerful antifungals (learn more about those in my Repattern Migraine Masterclass).

We shouldn’t overlook the fact that perhaps the benefits received are due to a lowered fungal burden when taking them. We can now begin to ask the question: to what degree could migraine symptoms be a side-effect of systemic fungal infection?

Since writing part 1 of this post, I started to wonder if any more of the best forms of nutritional support for migraine are antifungal. Indeed they are:

  • Niacin B3 presumably helps those with migraine because it helps the lymphatic system detoxify, increases prostaglandins, is needed in the krebs cycle to support ATP production, helps balance blood sugar etc. But it also has antifungal properties (see here and here).
  • Ginger has been lauded as a great digestive aid and support for those with migraine. It too is an antifungal.
  • Feverfew, often used by those with migraine, is not only a bitter that can help support liver function but is also an antifungal.
  • Probiotics, which are key to balancing gut flora but are often not tolerated by migraineurs, are also antifungal.

This made me wonder about different medications used for migraine. Do any of those have antifungal properties? Yes, they do.

  • Aspirin is an antifungal, especially useful for treating candida infections when the candida is part of a biofilm.
  • Many nonsteroidal inflammatories like ibuprofen, diflunisal, and diclofenac have antifungal properties.
  • Serotonin is an antifungal. If someone were battling a fungal infection, would more of their serotonin be used up for the funghi, leaving less left over for cognitive function, and increasing the likelihood the person would have a headache and have to resort to serotonin agonists like triptans to compensate? Would naturally boosting serotonin help to lower both fungal load and migraines? If someone were serotonin deficient, would they be more prone to fungal overgrowth? 

I’m sure this part of the inquiry could go on for much longer, but suffice it to say that I think we have some credible evidence that there very well may be a connection between migraine and fungi, yeasts, and mycotoxins.

Types of Mycotoxins From Mold, Yeast, & Fungi

Molds (fungi) are very intelligent organisms. Dr. Sircus describes them as the most organized and intelligent organism on the planet. 

Fungi give off toxins that are not easily denatured by heat or cooking. These toxins are called mycotoxins. In addition to the tissue-degrading effects of the hyphae or “roots” of candida and fungi, fungi are damaging because of the toxins they give off, which overload our liver and fill our blood with toxins, leading to migraine.

“Several hundred different mycotoxins have been identified, but the most commonly observed mycotoxins that present a concern to human health and livestock include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone and nivalenol/deoxynivalenol. Mycotoxins appear in the food chain as a result of mould infection of crops both before and after harvest. Exposure to mycotoxins can happen either directly by eating infected food or indirectly from animals that are fed contaminated feed, in particular from milk.” (source)

Fungi and their mycotoxins can also form as part of elaborate biofilm formations in the body, working in concert with other pathogens and evolving to adapt with the host’s own DNA. It has been suggested by some researchers that so-called autoimmune diseases are a result of molds hijacking the host DNA making them less easily removed by the person’s immune system.

In addition to exposure from food sources, many people are exposed to mycotoxins in their home from fungi growing there as a result of water damage. These toxins will overload the liver and create the host of symptoms mentioned in part 1. However, for someone with a fungal overgrowth in their body, these external sources of contamination are only adding to a large body burden. 

The most common fungal overgrowth in humans is candida albicans, but other more resistant and emergent strains of fungi like candida auris can be even more damaging to a person’s health, and are often acquired in hospital settings. 

Do any of the traditional trigger foods known to cause “histamine intolerance” also contain higher levels of fungi, molds, mycotoxins? Yep.

CandidaMD has a video of a woman reporting complete remission of migraine after candida treatment. I like his astute observation that:    

“Neurologists, whose medical specialty includes the treatment of migraines, frequently give out lists of foods and additives known to cause migraines in some people. These foods include: wine and other alcohols, aged cheeses, gluten (a protein in wheat, barley and rye), peanuts and other nuts, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame. All of these foods are either fermented products, or foods that may contain fungal toxins.”

http://www.candidamd.com/candida/migraine.html

Let’s explore some fo the most common migraine culprits. They all contain mycotoxins. I wish I could find a comparison of levels of mycotoxins in these foods, as presumably almost any kind of food can be contaminated with mycotoxins. It may be that those that are migraine triggers have higher levels of mycotoxins.

Weak Regulations in the US as Compared to Europe for Mycotoxin Exposure in the Food Supply

Some foods are irradiated in an attempt to get the mold out, but most remain in the food supply. Ozonation has been shown effective for removal of some mold and fungi but is not widely practiced.

Check out this graph (Table 1) in this article. It clearly shows that the US has more lenient regulations than Europe, resulting in a more toxic food supply for those of us here in the US. 

Migraine and Candida

CandidaMD explains that candida and estrogen have a close relationship, and, 

“People who are carrying a yeast overgrowth in their bodies essentially have a parasite that wants to be fed on a regular schedule. It appears that by similar chemical mechanisms that allow the yeast to cause cravings for fungus-feeding foods, yeast can in some people produce chemicals that cause discomfort and even pain when it is not fed.”

http://www.candidamd.com/candida/migraine.html

According to this logic, women whose migraines are caused by candida may have more pain at times when the estrogen levels drop. 

Here are CandidaMD’s Major Causes of Candida Overgrowth:

  • Antibiotics.
  • Swimming in chlorinated pools
  • Alcohol use (most often beer, wine and vodka)
  • Regular use of Candida-promoting foods
  • Alcoholism in either parent
  • Birth control hormones
  • Mother was always ill 
  • Consistent exposure to mold
  • Mercury and mercury fillings (silver amalgam fillings).
  • Use of corticosteroids
  • Exposure to pesticides

(Source)

I would add hypothyroidism as a major cause. I will write more on that soon.

Antibiotics as One Source of Mycotoxin Exposure

I used to think that antibiotics caused health problems because they depleted and altered the gut flora of healthy bacteria. It’s also well known that candida yeast infections often plague people after antibiotic use. But it is not widely known that most antibiotics (beyond the original penicillin discovered by Fleming in 1929) are made from fungal mycotoxins. 

CandidaMD says that:

“Most antibiotics are derived from fungal chemicals, chemicals the fungi make to protect themselves from bacteria.  This is why antibiotics work so well.  However, their function in nature is to allow fungi to grow, and this is the unavoidable secondary effect of antibiotic use — that fungi will grow.”

http://www.candidamd.com/candida/exposures.html

This can be confirmed and it’s a huge industry:
,
“The filamentous fungi produce 22% of the nearly 12 000 antibiotics that were known in 1955.The β-lactams, which constitute a major part of the antibiotic market, and include the penicillins, cephalosporins, clavulanic acid and carbapenems, are the most important class of antibiotics in terms of use. Of these, fungi are responsible for production of penicillins and cephalosporins. The natural penicillin G and the biosynthetic penicillin V had a market of $4.4 billion by the late 1990s. Major markets also included semisynthetic penicillins and cephalosporins with a market of $11 billion. In 2006, the market for cephalosporins amounted to $9.4 billion and that for penicillins was $6.7 billion. By 2003, production of all β-lactams had reached over 60 000 tons. The titer of penicillin is over 100 g l−1 and that for cephalosporin C is at least 35 g l−1. Recovery yields are >90%. There have been >15 000 molecules based on penicillin that have been made by semisynthesis or by total synthesis. By the mid-1990s, 160 antibiotics and their derivatives were already in the market. The market in 2000 was $35 billion.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/ja2016121

Therefore, anyone who has a history of antibiotic use has been systemically exposed to mycotoxins, along with the acidifying fluoride in most antibiotics which will contribute to the acidic terrain that fungi enjoy growing in.

“Researchers found that antibiotics caused a defect in the anti-fungal immune response, specifically in the gut. Antibiotic-treated mice had much higher levels of fungal infection in the intestines than the untreated mice. The consequence of this was gut bacteria then escaped into the blood. Antibiotic-treated mice now had both a bacterial and a fungal infection to deal with. This was making them much sicker than the mice that did not have antibiotics. Immune cells in the gut make small proteins called cytokines that act as messages to other cells. For example, cytokines called IL-17 and GM-CSF help immune cells fight fungal infections. We found that antibiotics lowered the amount of these cytokines in the gut, which we think is part of the reason the antibiotic-treated mice couldn’t control fungal infection in the intestines or stop the bacteria from escaping.”

https://theconversation.com/antibiotics-can-lead-to-life-threatening-fungal-infection-because-of-disruption-to-the-gut-microbiome-new-study-182881

Many Medicinal Compounds Are Produced from Fungi

I will quote extensively from the scientific literature below to demonstrate the wide range of products we consume that are made by fungi (some of them genetically-engineered):

“Microorganisms produce many compounds with biological activity. From the 22 500 biologically active compounds so far obtained from microbes, ∼40% are produced by fungi. The role of fungi in the production of antibiotics and other drugs for treatment of noninfective diseases has been dramatic.

“Development of higher-producing strains involves mutagenesis and, more recently, recombinant DNA technologies. Although some metabolites of interest can be made by plants or animals, or by chemical synthesis, the recombinant microbe is usually the ‘creature of choice’. Thousand-fold increases in production of small molecules have been obtained by mutagenesis and/or genetic engineering.

Production of polyunsaturated fatty acids by fungi and other microorganisms has been reviewed by Ratledge They are used as nutriceuticals and include (1) γ-linoleic acid (18:3 omega-6) from Mucor circinelloides, (2) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 omega-3) from algae, (3) arachidonic acid (20:4 omega-6) from Mortierella alpine and (4) EPA from genetically modified Y. lipolytica. They represent a multi-billion dollar industry, mainly arachidonic acid and DHA for infant formulas.

https://www.nature.com/articles/ja2016121

Oxalate Sensitivity & Funghi

In previous posts I have pointed out that vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a known antifungal. It also helps us to process carbohydrates which feed funghi.  In addition to this, thiamine helps to improve sensitivity to oxalate-rich foods. Since funghi create oxalates, anyone with oxalate sensitivity would be wise to get plenty of thiamine and address the underlying fungal infection.

“Oxalate sensitivity and candida overgrowth are commonly linked.  Clinically, we regularly find high oxalate sensitivity in patients we test that have candida overgrowth.

Candida albicans fungus, which is the most common yeast in the human gastrointestinal system, has been found to surround oxalates stones in the kidney, and the presence of yeast infections have been correlated with high amounts of oxalates.”

https://advancedfunctionalmedicine.com.au/oxalates-and-candida-overgrowth/

How Mycotoxins Disrupt Hormonal Function

Because migraine is generally recognized as a condition related to hormonal fluctuations, it’s worthwhile to take a good look at the many ways that mycotoxins distrupt hormonal functioning – altering metabolism and synthesis of testosterone, the estrogens, progesterone,  thyroid hormones and cortisol levels. Some of this is due to the way that mycotoxins overload the liver, whose job it is to regulate hormone levels, but the effects of mycotoxins are more far-reaching than that.

“As many mycotoxins are also hepatotoxic, endocrine disruption may arise from aberrant hydroxylation and conjugation of other hormones. Mycotoxins can also interfere with hormone receptors, including nuclear receptors, by directly stimulating or blocking them. This can cause downstream issues with secretion, transport, and unexpected or aberrant hormonal cross-talk. The endocrine-disrupting effects of mycotoxins are not necessarily linearly dose-dependent. Their effects are often further altered by concentrations of the other endocrine disruptors including other mycotoxins, endogenous or exogenous hormones, nutritional status, and, potentially, stress level. Severity of endocrine disruption may differ from cell line to cell line due to variable amounts of different receptor types unique to each cell line.”

“Mycotoxins vary in their level of endocrine disruption, and each mycotoxin is present in the environment at different concentrations. For example, deoxynivalenol (DON), although a weak endocrine disruptor, is 10-100 times more prevalent in our food chain than the stronger endocrine disruptor known as zearalenone (ZEA).

“Mycotoxins are often globally categorized as xenoestrogens, but their endocrine effects go beyond estrogen alone. With that being said, mycotoxins are formidable in the realm of estrogen mimicry and agonism. The most well-known xenoestrogenic mycotoxin is ZEA; however, it should be noted that its metabolites, β-zearalenol (β-ZOL) and zearalenol (α-ZOL), are also estrogenic in nature. ZEA, although not a steroid, closely resembles ß-estradiol and can therefore directly bind to estrogen receptors and act as an agonist. In adrenocortical cells, ZEA, β-ZOL, and α-ZOL can increase estradiol production at low levels and decrease estradiol production at higher levels. Moreover, β-ZOL is able to increase estradiol levels to a greater extent than its parent mycotoxin ZEA or its fellow metabolite α-ZOL. 

“Competition at the receptors can interfere with levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH by engaging in negative feedback to the pituitary gland. At concentrations found in the environment, T-2 has been shown to lower FSH-stimulated estradiol production in granulosa cells. Alternariol, an emerging mycotoxin produced by Alternaria alternata – a common environmental mold – has been shown to increase estradiol production and also act as an estrogen receptor agonist. Meanwhile, similar to its effects on testosterone, the mycotoxin ENB has been shown to lower estradiol and progesterone in adrenocortical cell lines.”

https://ndnr.com/endocrinology/endocrine-impacts-of-mycotoxins/ 

To Learn How to Reduce Fungal Overload,
check out my Repattern Migraine Masterclass